Shirley: housewife & work

Shirley worked her first job at a parking garage in downtown Grand Rapids beginning in high school. Her boss was good to her and sometimes gave her a ride home so she didn’t have to take the bus in the dark. She trained to be an X-Ray Technician at St. Mary’s Hospital and worked there until she became pregnant in 1958. Shirley was a full time mother until daughter Paulette (me) was in high school in the early 1970s. . She stayed very busy caring for her family including sewing, cooking, house cleaning, laundry and care of their children. Shirley made many clothes for herself and all three of us girls--everything from prom dresses, coats and other things. She would buy or borrow a Simplicity or McCall Pattern and lay out the material on the dining room table. Her sister Lorriane and her often worked on projects together. For instance, they each made a felt Christmas tablecloth that had ornate ornaments festooned with rickrack, beads and other decorations. I think Lorriane helped with the smocking in the three red dresses pictured above. As the oldest, I wore these the least amount of time. Once outgrown by one of the sisters, the dress was passed down from Paulette to LInda to Lori. Lori must have worn this dress for many years. A gift of a better sewing machine from Roy was treasured. Making meals was a time consuming process. There were very few conveniences. Burning feathers off raw chicken, using a gas burner on the stove was part of the process of making dinner. Everything was pretty much homemade. Breakfast would include milk which was delivered to the back porch into a silver milk box for many years. School and work lunches were packed while everyone ate and got ready for school or work. A full dinner was served every night after Roy got home from work with all of the family at a small table in the kitchen. A special meal would be served on Sunday in the dining room and often family visitors came over for dinner or visited on Sunday afternoon after church. There were very few conveniences. City chicken from Levandowski’s Meat Market, on Stocking Avenue, would be a special treat. Meat from the meat market and Polish rye bread from American Bakery, on Bridge Street, were always a part of every holiday meal. On Sundays, because we had a big dinner after church, our supper in the evening would be something smaller. Homemade hot fudge sauce to pour over vanilla ice cream was a favorite for these casual Sunday night suppers. She still makes this sauce, using a candy thermometer to ensure it isn’t soupy or rock hard. Another Sunday night favorite was hotdogs wrapped in crescent rolls with a piece of cheese and baked in the oven. It was the only meal of the week eaten in the living room while watching some favorite TV programs together. While all her baked goods were (and still are) very good, she is really known for her pies and her pie crusts. She knows every trick to rolling out a perfect crust. She can tell you why egg whites might not rise when whipped and she scolds you when you keep nibbling on the raw cookie batter. House cleaning and laundry also took a lot of time. Even though they had a clothes dryer, Shirley carried heavy laundry out to the backyard clotheslines where it was hung with wooden clothespins. Clothes that needed to be ironed like St. Adalbert’s uniform blouses for three girls and Roy’s work shirts, were sprayed with water and rolled up until it was time to iron. The ironing board was set up in the basement near the washer, dryer and wash tub. Neighborhood friend’s June Bowman and Tutti Kutchin would share a recipe or a bit of gossip in the yard or come in for coffee. She went back to work in the early 70s as an X-Ray Technician at Alpine Medical Center. Her return to work in the early 1970’s was a surprise to everyone. She had not been looking for a job or interviewing. A former co-worker who had remained a friend, recommended her for the x-ray technician job at Alpine Medical Center when he was moving on to another position. Her job necessitated a second car for the family. Daughter Paulette (me) was in high school so the three girls were old enough to stay alone. She worked until eventually the medical practice contracted out their radiology. She remains friends with many of the co-workers from this job and attends their regular luncheon get-togethers. Shirley worked for a few years after that at Michigan Bulb until she retired.